The Choice
by tazspaz
Summary: Dumbledore had told Harry that he has a power that Voldemort knows not. At the end of his sixth year Harry's true potential is unleashed!
1. Chapter 1

_**"The Choice"**_

_**  
Discovery  
**_

**The leaves were starting to fall as the cold winter wind blew through the grounds of Hogwarts. A small group of friends were slowly walking up the path to the school, trying to shield themselves from the cold with their cloaks. Over the summer, Harry had every intention of leaving to finish off his quest for the horcurxes. His only mishap had been that his friends, Ron and Hermione, had been keeping an exceptionality strong eye on him since the end of last term. It had been expected that he would try to shake off his friends to protect them from harm, as only Harry would go to such lengths. Since that time, Harry had been keeping to himself, hardly talking to anyone anymore. Hermione had tried coaxing him to talk to them, but the only one to get through the thick shield had been Ginny. After their breakup at Dumbledore's funeral, Ginny had kept her distance as well for a while. She had known that what Harry had said had been true, she could be used to get to him, she also knew how much he cared for her as did everyone else. Sirius Black had been used to bring Harry and his friends to the Ministry of Magic, only to find that it had been a trap by Lord Voldemort to lure Harry there. Sirius had died that night protecting Harry, this only caused Harry to close himself off even more from the world.**

**  
Looking back, Ginny was glad that Harry had decided to open up to her after a bit, to trust her with his deepest fears and secrets. Although, his secrets had shaken her to the core, she always stood by him. Harry had told her that after Dumbledore's death, he had been having more dreams as well as waking to find himself almost floating over his bed, the room shaking, or a glow surrounding him. These events had ended up getting him kicked out of his relative's house almost immediately after returning home for his last summer. Nobody could explain those events, not even the Ministry of Magic. Blame had been cast onto Voldemort and his death eaters, for a seventeen year old boy could never do such magic according to the Ministry. After some extensive testing, the conclusions had been that Harry was not being controlled obviously. But the final verdict from the Minster had been as unresolved and unexplained. The simple truth had been too hard to comprehend or explain for Minister Scrimgeour .**

**  
After returning to Hogwarts with a sullen Harry in tow, the seventh year had begun. Advanced magic was now performed in all lessons, and unspoken spells were mandatory at all times, no exceptions. Kingsley Shacklebolt had become the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and Tonks had decided to become the new Transfiguration teacher; much to the delight of Harry and his friends. The homework was again overwhelming, and little time could be spent on planning the trip to Godric's Hollow or defeating Voldemort these days.  
**

**Many students had not returned, especially since the magic protecting Hogwarts had begun to dwindle. Since Dumbledore's death, many things had begun to occur, for one, the Death Eaters seemed unstoppable now. There were considerably more deaths and attacks in the paper now, the werewolf population had also grown as did the Inferis. The atmosphere of the magical community had hit an all time low, even the muggle population had taken noticed with all of the unsolved crimes popping up.  
**

**At times, Ron and Hermione were surprised that Harry could hold up at all, such was the pressure on him to defeat this evil. Sometimes, they had almost seemed to glimpse a change in him. A confidence that they couldn't understand, but it would disappear almost immediately and Harry would become quiet and moody once again. The only one who could even get a smile out of him was Ginny, it was obvious that Harry still cared for her deeply.  
**

**On the first day of winter everything changed. The Death Eaters had attacked Hogsmeade and Snape had been rumored to be leading the group. Zonkos and The Three Broomsticks were completely destroyed, and most of the homes were left abandoned by the time help arrived. The students had been led into the Great Hall to be watched by the prefects and some staff while the teachers joined the aurors in Hogsmeade.  
**

**Ron, Harry, and Hermione were in a corner discussing the attack, when a white faced Ginny raced up to them. "Harry, McGonagall wanted me to come get you! She wants you to join them out there!"  
**

**"What! Why?" Harry was shocked, Ron and Hermione had to drag him to his feet for anything to register. He had never been allowed to go or do anything dangerous before, every attempt had been made to keep him safe from harm's way. The group quickly made their way through the crowded hall as McGonagall was spotted heading their way.  
**

**"Well, what are you waiting for? Grab your invisibility cloak and follow me Potter." She waited impatiently while Harry ran up to his dorm room for his father's silvery cloak. Upon his return, she started walked briskly towards Hogsmeade with an anxious Harry trailing behind.  
**

**"Professor, why do you want me to come? I have never been allowed to even attend the meetings for the Order." Harry asked as he struggled to keep pace with McGonagall's long strides.  
**

**"Harry, there is something that you will need to hear from someone. Now I want you to control yourself when you speak to him... we captured Draco Malfoy." She added hesitantly.  
**

**"What! You got him, where is the bloody git?" Harry exclaimed angrily as he unconsciously sped up in rage  
**

**"Now Harry, I need you to stay calm, you saw him on top of the tower that night, you said that he wasn't the one to kill.. Dumbledore. He said that he has something that he wants to tell you." McGonagall stopped in her tracks to look up at Harry, as he had grown quite a bit over the summer. "He specifically asked to speak to you, no other. And I need to tell you as well, he is injured badly. He is being looked after by Madam Pomfrey, but he should recover in a few weeks time."   
**

**The rest of the way to Hogsmeade, Harry tried to control the rage boiling within him. All attempts were wasted upon seeing Malfoy, as he had lunged at the smaller boy and had to be held back by two aurors.  
**

**"Still the hero are you, Potter" Malfoy sneered weakly. He had been cut badly by falling debris, upon inspection it had been discovered that he had tried to enter one of the houses to see what he could loot on orders from Voldemort. Unfortunately for him, the house had crumbled while he was still inside.  
**

**"I ought to rip you to shreds, Malfoy! You are the reason that Dumbledore is dead!" Harry lunged again, but was pulled back yet again.  
**

**A fleeting shadow in Malfoy's eyes showed how much regret he had for those actions, he sincerely looked like he regretted his decisions. "I wanted to tell you... I didn't mean for all of this to happen. The Dark Lord said that he would kill me and my family if I didn't follow through on his orders. Only a small group was supposed to come through. We were supposed to grab a sword from Dumbledore's study, but, everything went wrong. The Werewolf, Greyback, wasn't supposed to be there."  
**

**"What...why are you telling me this?" Harry was stunned, he had never expected his nemesis to ever break down like this.  
**

**"The Dark Lord is mad, he will kill me, but I don't care anymore, not after all I have seen. My father is in prison and my mother was killed last week." Malfoy actually started to cry. "I've lost everyone. If it is the last thing I do, I will get my revenge… I am going to tell you everything I can. "  
**

**Harry stared down at this new Malfoy in shock, even McGonagall looked surprised by this revelation. "Professor, let's get him up to Hogwarts, he is telling the truth, I don't know how, but I know that he is truly different somehow. It would be better to have him at the school than in Azkaban, Voldemort would only end up killing him faster that way."**

**On the way back up to the school, Harry realized that he had taken control of the situation on instinct. Professor McGonagall did not seem to take offence though, it seemed almost as if she expected it of him. Filing these thoughts away for a later time, he concentrated on the situation on hand. Once Malfoy was taken to the infirmary with a few aurors, McGonagall gave permission for Ron, Hermione, and Ginny to join Harry in the questioning. Upon seeing who was in the bed, Ron instantly lunged at Malfoy as well. "Malfoy! How dare you show your ugly face here, I aughta..." With some difficulty, Ron was pulled off of Malfoy before serious damage could be inflicted.  
**

**"Ron, Malfoy has something that he wants to tell us all, just calm down." Harry yelled as Ron tried to wrestle out of everyone's grasp.**

**  
"How can you say that, after everything he has put us through. You of all people, I would think, wouldn't listen to him. You are the one that was the first to always blame Malfoy for everything!" Ron yelled angrily.  
**

**"Just listen to what he has to say, will you!" Harry stomped over to Malfoy's bed. "Tell us what you know, or I won't think twice about letting Ron having a shot at you."**

**  
An exhausted Malfoy was just finishing his explanation, when Madam Pomfrey pushed everyone out the door so he could get some rest. McGonagall was unnerved at the revelations that had been revealed, but went briskly back to business. "Alright everyone, off to bed, you all have had a lot to think about tonight. Do try and get some sleep though."  
**

**On their way back to the common room, Harry was deep in thought, as though debating something in his mind. Finally, before they reached the Fat Lady's portrait, he pulled everyone back. "I have something that I think you should know, something that has been bothering me for a while now. Lately I have been wondering whether to tell anyone, even you. Meet me in the common room in a few minutes, I left my cloak in the infirmary.  
**

**When Harry had returned a few minutes later, he had to wait until the last stragglers wandered of to bed, leaving just the four friends around the fire. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair for a moment before beginning. "You all know what happened over the summer, what with the dreams and everything." Everyone nodded slowly. "Well, I have been.. umm... experimenting with some new powers. Ever since Dumbledore's death I have been getting these weird dreams, and what I dream really seems to happen. **

**McGonagall found a letter to me from Dumbledore, it was supposed to be opened after his death. In the letter it said that when I was a baby, I had shown strange powers, even as an newborn infant. I could move things across the room, I even started... well... levitating in my crib. My parents were getting worried, I guess this had happened in my dad's family a lot, but it had only lasted a few hours and then it wouldn't happen anymore. My situation was extreme, it didn't just go away like the others, I even started to create shields when strangers came over. My parents asked Dumbledore to bind my special abilities until I was older. After they were killed, he kept them bound to protect me. But, since his death I have been getting these abilities back, they are so strong it is hard to control them at times. I think this is the power that the prophesy talked about, Voldemort may not have known about the protection that my mother gave me when she died, but he has that same power in his blood now. This would be a completely different power, one he would most definitely not know of."  
**

**The room was silent for a few minutes as everyone let this new revelation soak in. Hermione was the first to speak up, "So, um... what kind of new powers do you have? You can speak Parsel Tongue, and you can do complicated spells that most of us can't, what else can you do?" Hermione was looking hesitant but excited.  
**

**Harry smiled, he had known that Hermione would be fascinated by these new powers, he just hoped that Ron and Ginny would still accept him. He looked over at them to see Ron's jaw hanging open staring blankly back at him, Ginny on the other hand didn't seem too surprised. He had a feeling that she had been catching on when he told her what had happened over the summer, he had told Ginny some things that he had not told anyone else.  
**

**"Ron, are you ok?" Harry asked, he was getting a little worried since Ron's jaw was still hanging open. This seemed to snap him out of his stupor though.**

**  
"Yeah." Ron said in a small voice, "I knew something was going on, but I thought that You-Know-Who was doing that to you. I've never heard of anyone able to do that before."  
**

**"I have... it was in 'Hogwarts, a History'." At the dumb looks on Ron and Ginny's face she sighed, "honestly, I am getting sick of this. There was a wizard with that power, the only one ever recorded in history to have those powers. He was a founding father of Hogwarts, the most powerful of the four, it was Godric Gryffindor."  
**

**Everyone looked at Harry in surprise. "That was another thing, my dad and his mother had been the last descendants to Gryffindor. As he had only had one son, the Gryffindore name died out when his granddaughter married into the Potter family. After centuries, the line dwindled down to my grandparents and my father. And then Voldemort murdered my grandparents while my father was still in school here, the rest you know.**

**The room was silent as everyone digested the new side of Harry. Hermione was the first to stir from her catatonic state. "Harry, I am so sorry, we never knew… But, can I ask you something? Do you have his other power as well? You know, his specialty?" Hermione asked  
**

**Harry sighed, "Hermione, I have never read that book, and probably never will read that book, you know that. You probably know more about my powers than I do."  
**

**"Godric Gryffindor's special power was the ability to control magic with his mind, he didn't need a wand. Can you do that?" Hermione leaned forward expectantly.  
**

**"Yes, that was the first one I received, after that was the power to levitate. All in all, I have three that I can somewhat control, I can glow when I really concentrate on it. The only one I can't control is when I make the ground shake, that usually happens when I get really angry. That night at my uncle's house, Dudley had gotten into my trunk and had stolen my invisibility cloak, it seems funny now, but at the time I was irate. He had put it on only to discover that he had disappeared, he threw the cloak off and told Uncle Vernon that I had cast some spell on him. I got a real beating for that one, it was also the night that the 'earthquake' happened."**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Choice**

_**Confrontations**_

**  
Early the next morning, the four friends were still in the common room, having spent all night discussing these new events. No one bothered the sullen group on their way down to breakfast, the group didn't seem to notice the noise anyway. An hour later, Hermione noticed the light steaming in through the large windows. For once, even she had lost track of the time, which inevitably would not last long. **

**  
"Oh no, We have to go. Now!" Hermione squealed, knocking her chair over in her haste to get up. "We have five minutes to get down to Potions, and we definitely don't have time for breakfast."**

**  
"What's the hurry, it's not like Slughorn is going to yell at his 'Slug club'" Ron mumbled under his breath.**

**  
"Ron, we have a test on the Veracious potion, and we will be learning a new healing potion as well." Huffed Hermione, "some people actually care about their grade."**

**  
Rolling their eyes, and with a slightly sheepish look on his face Ron and Harry followed an annoyed Hermione out the portrait hole. Meanwhile, Ginny dragged herself up to her room to get some sleep as she had her first period free. "Do you think any of the Slytherins have visited Malfoy? I wonder if McGonagall has even told anyone else that he is back here." Ron stuffed his potion ingredients deeper in his bag, as something scaly had been attempting to climb out.**

**  
"I don't know, but I think we should go up there after class. Malfoy said that he knew of an attack planned for next week, I want to find out some more." Harry said thoughtfully. "He also said that Voldemort had wanted him to get a sword from Dumbledore's study, I wonder if he was trying to make another Horcruxe, he can't have much of a soul left to break up anymore though."**

**  
Potions seemed to pass quickly as the fumes from the many Caldrons had begun to mix, creating a rather nasty pea-green fog. Since the book that had helped Harry so much last year was still buried in the room of requirement, his potion grade had definitely taken a dive. Fortunately for Harry, Professor Slughorn had just written his average grade off as the mourning for his late mentor.**

**When the trio was finally able to reach the infirmary, the door was packed with Slytherins. "He is in our House, why can't we see him? Pansy is his girlfriend, and you won't even let her in?" A large sixth year Slytherin boy was yelling at an angry Madam Pomfrey. The Slytherins were so absorbed in trying to get to Malfoy, that Harry was able to shoulder his way through unnoticed.**

**  
"Ah, Harry, come on in, the Minister is just finishing up." Madam Pomfrey yanked Harry in before the seething Slytherins tried to crush him. An equally exhausted Ron and Hermione emerged seconds later. "Come, come, I don't have all day."**

**  
Ignoring the threats sent their way by the put off mob, they followed the nurse to Malfoy's bed. Minister Scrimgeour was just standing up when he spotted Harry. "Potter." He greeted stiffly before limping towards the exit with Madam Pomfrey. Shaking his head in annoyance, Harry turned his attention to the bed's lone occupant.**

**  
"Always making friends aren't you? I would have thought that you would be best mates with the Minister, you being 'The Golden Boy'." Malfoy croaked, he looked like he had not slept in ages. His eyes were bloodshot, but color had started to come back to his pale and bruised face.**

**  
Ignoring the comment, Harry asked, "Malfoy, last night you said that you were told to get a sword from Dumbledore's office, did Voldemort ever say why he wanted it or what he might use it for?"**

**  
Cringing slightly at the mention of his old master, Malfoy swallowed visibly. "He never told me what he wanted it for, It's not something to ask the Dark Lord if you value your life. I did overhear him talking to Snape about it though, he said that with this new prize he would be even more powerful than before." He paused, "Harry, I don't want to serve that monster, I see him for what he really is now... I...I'm sorry for everything that I have done before to all of you, I'm not the same Draco I used to be… I was always told that the Dark Lord was right, purebloods were meant to rule and extermination of all muggles was the only choice. I don't expect us to become friends in the future, not after what I have done."**

**  
Ron snorted in the background as he glared at Malfoy. "Bloody right, you are lucky that Harry even listens to you."**

**  
Hermione stepped up to Malfoy defiantly. "We may not completely trust you, but I agree with Harry, we will help you if you help us. We can get rid of Voldemort, but the price is heavy for all of us. I understand that you feel hatred towards Voldemort for what he has done to you, but do you understand why we need to be cautious towards you? You are still a Death Eater to us, trust isn't something that you can just inherit, it is earned."**

**  
"I know, I don't expect you to trust me either, just listen to what I have to say with an open mind. And call me Draco, Malfoy sounds like my father." He smiled darkly as he whispered, "maybe we can beat...Vol...de...Voldemort."**

**  
Smiling grimly, they said their goodbyes and promised that they would be back later to talk more. On their way back out of the infirmary, a large group of Slytherins were waiting for them. After a few minutes of trying to intimidate the other group, Pansy Parkinson strode up to Hermione and punched her in the gut as hard as she possibly could. The next thing Pansy could remember was being thrown against the wall by a _very_ angry Ronald Weasley.**

**  
Nobody seemed to notice the slight rumble in the floor, until all of the Slytherins were plastered against the wall by a force so strong it knocked the wind out of them. Goyle was the first to recover though, shooting a curse at Harry, he slammed bodily into Ron, knocking him away from Pansy. **

**Harry just absorbed the spell in his wand, while helping a gasping Hermione up. Right after, Ron scrambled to his feet just when Harry had pinned Goyle to the wall. Harry and Ron towered over Goyle as the rest of the Slytherins made their getaway. Hermione was leaning against the wall trying to catch her breath as she raised her wand at Pansy.**

**  
Together, Ron and Harry made a very formidable force. Ron was no longer the tall, skinny boy he had been last year. Harry had grown as well, and had started working out while at his uncle's house so that now, even just one could give Goyle a run for his money. Trembling, Goyle wrenched out of their grasp and skidded out of sight.**

**  
Hermione, on the other hand, was handling the spells that Pansy threw at her with such ease that the boys just stood back to watch the duel. Suddenly, Pansy was whipped off of her feet and flung into the air by her ankles. "There, know, why don't you just stay like that for a while, it will give you time to cool down." Hermione turned to applause from both Harry and Ron.**

**  
"Hermione, I thought that you were never going to come around to our side!" Ron was so excited that he raced over and grabbed her in a huge bear hug, without thinking, he lifted her chin and kissed her. Suddenly realizing what he had just done, Ron turned thirty shades of crimson before he started sputtering about how he hadn't meant to do it.**

**  
Hermione, on the other hand, just grabbed him by the ear and pulled him back down into a deeper kiss. To Harry, that was the cue to take off, fast. He left Pansy kicking and screaming from the ceiling as a romantic backdrop for the happy couple. Snickering, Harry quickly jogged back to the common room to tell Ginny what had happened.**

**  
"Levicorpus! She actually did it? What else happened?" Ginny was so into the story, she fell off of the edge of her chair when Harry told her that Hermione had kissed Ron. "What! Finally, I thought that they would never get together." But she sobered up instantly when she asked, "Harry, do you think that the Slytherins saw you use your powers? Some of their parents are Death Eaters, if Voldemort finds out..."**

**  
"I know, I thought about that, I used my wand to absorb the curses, but I almost lost it there. Ginny, I had the floor shaking again, I'm starting to get really concerned, I can't seem to control this power like the others." Before he could get any farther, Neville walked over and handed Harry a rolled up piece of paper.**

**  
"I ran into McGonagall in the hall, she says that she wants to talk to you in her office." Neville paused then said in a rush. "Is it true what happened? I heard that you tried to curse Pansy for talking to Malfoy."**

**  
"What? No, Pansy actually punched Hermione in the stomach, and so Ron and I defended her. Figures that the Slytherins would say that, they wouldn't want to sound weak, would they." Harry grumbled. "Well, I better go find out what McGonagall heard and set her straight."**


	3. Chapter 3

The Choice

_**The Chamber of Secrets**_

The trip up to McGonagall's office took longer than expected, as Harry ran into Ron and Hermione walking hand in hand down a side corridor. "Well about time, I was getting fairly sick of those looks you kept throwing at each other." Harry grinned as the new couple smiled and blushed.

Attempting to change the subject, Ron asked rather loudly "Hey, where are you going? We were heading back to the common room."

"McGonagall heard the Slytherin's version of what happened outside the infirmary, I'm going to go straighten it out before it gets all over the school that I cursed Pansy with an unforgivable curse." Harry grumbled as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"What! Who in their right minds would believe that..I mean, sure, she may deserve it, but McGonagall wouldn't believe that!" Hermione ranted, then added sheepishly. "Besides we let her back down, eventually."

"Careful Hermione, I don't want Snape's little book to go to your head. I would prefer to not to hang by my ankles anytime soon." Harry smirked as Hermione flushed in embarrassment. "But keep it up, those Slytherins need a little curbing once in a while. I promise not to notice if your wand slips and Goyle and Crabbe get thrown into the middle of the lake."

Laughing, Harry walked down the stone corridor, leaving an annoyed Hermione and a grinning Ron behind. After getting past the gargoyle, Harry reached McGonagall's office, but stopped in astonishment. What used to be Dumbledore's office had now completely changed, everything was so neat and tidy, it reflected McGonagall perfectly. The perch that Fawkes used to rest on was still there, in apparent hopes that it's lone occupant would return.

Noticing Harry's hesitation, McGonagall smiled ruefully. "I couldn't bear to keep everything, it reminded me so much of Dumbledore, and this is more fitting for me. If Fawkes returns though, he will always be welcome here."

Smiling sadly, Harry got straight to business "Professor, did you want to see me?"

"Yes, it has come to my attention that a certain Slytherin was left hanging from the ceiling after she tried to speak to Mr. Malfoy. I know, I didn't think that was your style, but it is my duty to check. Well, are you going to let me know what really happened?"

Harry recounted his story, leaving out the points that dealt with his new abilities. By the end, McGonagall couldn't keep the smile off of her face. "Hermione did that? Well, I can't say that I approve, but it was obviously deserved. Please let Miss Granger know that kind of behavior is not condoned here. But since it was self defense, I can't see why an occupant from a nearby picture didn't just happen to see the commotion. I may be the headmistress here now, but I don't have to take the stories that come out of Slytherin as pure fact." Pausing, McGonagall looked into Harry's eyes. "Is there something else that you want to tell me?"

Wondering briefly if this was a trait that all headmasters have, Harry smiled calmly. "No Professor, that was all."

"Well, we need to start off where Dumbledore left off with the Horcruxes, I know that you have some ideas on what they could be. Dumbledore did tell me what he believed them to be, the only one that would be missing would be the seventh Horcruxe." She paused, "do you know what it could be?"

"When we spoke to Malfoy, he said that they were here for the Gryffindore sword. I don't think that Voldemort has completed his seventh as of yet. I have noticed that he tends to collect powerful objects to use, such as the goblet and the locket." Harry sighed, "Professor, there is something that you should know...since Dumbledore's death, it has unlocked some new abilities within me. The prophesy that was in the Department of Mysteries was also not lost as everyone thought." Harry sighed heavily before he continued. "What it entailed was basically that there was a child to be born that would be the Dark Lord's match. It also said that he would mark that child as his equal, he chose me to be that child. The last part says that I am also the only one that can kill him, for one can not live while the other survives." "Yes, I thought that it would be something like that, you have faced He-Who-Must-Not- Be-Named almost every year you have been here. You are also the only one that has survived the killing curse, besides the fact that it was by…him. To tell you the truth, I would be surprised if you were not the one to kill him. Harry, you have always had the potential to be powerful, it's how you use that power that makes you who you are. Now, what are these new abilities?" "When Dumbledore froze me on top of the tower, I couldn't move, only when he was...when he died was I able to move. He was the one that bound these powers when I was a baby. My family has a history of these strange powers, mine is just more potent I guess. Right now I can do wandless magic better than I ever could with a wand, I can levitate myself, and cause a glow to surround me. Those are not what scares me though, when I lose control of my anger I cause the ground to shake uncontrollably."

When Harry was finished, McGonagall leaned back in her chair, thoroughly startled, but impressed. "Well, I certainly was not expecting those kind of powers. You will have to learn how to harness these new abilities rather quickly." She leaned forward once again and clasped her fingers together in a musing ramble. "The castle would not be ideal for this purpose… You would also have to be out of the view of the other students while you practice, we do have spies amongst us, mainly within the Slytherin house… The quidditch field would be good for this, you can have your friends help you, but I would not advise letting anyone else know. I will see what I can do to your schedule so that you can practice… Alright, let Ron, Hermione, and Ginny know that their schedules will change slightly to accommodate this. I do not feel that there will be any problems with this, but if there is, come see me."

"Ron and Hermione have already decided to join me no matter what I say, but I can't put Ginny in any more danger...I've already lost so many, I can't lose her too." Harry pleaded.  
"That will be up to her, we are all in danger now, nothing can be done to keep her any safer. This way you would be able to keep an eye on all of them, they are safer with you than by themselves." For the first time, Harry saw the weariness he had seen in Dumbledore's eyes reflected in McGonagall. "There has never been a war without losses, they will have to make their own choices for themselves. You saw what that philosophy did to your godfather. In the years that I have been your teacher, I have seen the strong loyalties that your friends have, they will not take kindly to being left out for their own safety."

Harry nodded and walked back to his common room upon being dismissed. After he had informed every one of their new schedule changes, he walked out to an empty quidditch pitch. Concentrating as hard as he could, a glow began to surround him as he slowly rose in the air. An invisible wind blew around him, stirring up the last of the fallen leaves. After rising about ten feet, the ground began to rumble slightly. Figuring this was good for now, he slowly lowered himself back to the ground and the breeze dissipated, causing the leaves to fall in a rainbow of color. After a few minutes of trying to calm his emotions, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Ginny resting her hand on his shoulder, Ron and Hermione were standing behind her with grim faces.

"Harry, that was very strong power, but you should keep practicing. We are going to set up some drills for you to practice on." Ginny smiled softly before dragging Ron and Hermione away to help set up.

By the end of the day, Harry was able to create pulses through the ground and was able to do complicated spells with barely a thought. During breaks, Hermione could be seen making notes on his progress. The only time anything went wrong was when Harry started thinking of Sirius and Dumbledore, the ground shook so violently that everyone was sent flying into the stands or in Ron's case, thrown into the lake. On their way back up to the castle, Harry had to be supported by both Ginny and Ron, while Hermione scouted ahead to make sure the coast was clear from any nosy students. Seeing 'The Chosen One' supported by Ron and Ginny would no doubt raise some concerns, especially since everyone was putting so much faith in him these days.

Draco was fully recovered in two weeks time, and one more of the Horcruxes had been destroyed besides the ring and watch. The four Gryffindores and the single Slytherin had taken a trip back to Grimauld place a few days earlier. The real watch was found in the old house elf's hoard of Black family treasures. Upon kicking the disturbed elf back into the attic, much to Hermione's disdain, Harry cast a revealing spell onto the ancient locket. What had appeared was deeply disturbing, a fine black mist enshrouded the entire object, it had positively seeped of evil and hatred. After McGonagall had given permission, Hermione had done some research in Dumbledore's private library, turning up a spell similar to the one Dumbledore had used on the ring. Remembering what had occurred with the magical backlash, Harry and Ginny poured over the books for over two weeks before a possible alternative was found.

Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione had been keeping an eye on Draco. He had put an effort into gaining everyone's trust, although still suspicious of any tricks, the four friends had begun to include him in some of the research. The aurors that had guarded Draco for the first few weeks had left to help in the ever increasing raids. Although the five had become friends, Draco was not privy to Harry's new training schedule. Usually Ron or Hermione would distract him while the others slipped away to the pitch.

By the time the alternative spell had been found, the four felt that they could trust Draco with the Horacruxes. Explaining everything to him was easier than anticipated, what he had seen while under Voldemort's servitude had begun to make more sense with the other half of the story. Casting the spell was nerve wracking to every one present, as no one had forgotten the image of Dumbledore's shriveled hand. Once the spell had finished, everyone let out the breath they had been holding subconsciously. The locket had opened with a slight pop and the black mist had dissipated, but now a long crack covered the entire face of the watch. After casting numerous scanning and detection spells, the five friends finally reached the conclusion that Salazar Slytherin's watch was now free of Voldemort's tainted soul.

Only two Horcruxes remained yet to be destroyed, the goblet and Voldemort's snake. Draco had informed Harry of the location of the goblet, it was hidden deep inside of The Chamber of Secrets. On this expedition, Draco and McGonagall accompanied the friends, as Draco seemed determined to prove his loyalty. Upon entering the chamber, the group split up into pairs to search. The Chamber stank of rotten flesh, as the basilisk was still lying within. After so many years, all that was left was the skeleton with some flesh still hanging from it's bones. Everyone but Harry and Ginny gasped at the sight of the legendary chamber, the gigantic bust of Slytherin was still dominating the eerie hall among the stone snake stutues. Four hours later, nothing had been found and Draco was looking slightly green. "Harry, maybe it isn't here, maybe Malfoy here was lying to us the whole time." Ron growled while Draco looked like he might be sick. 

Harry sighed, "No, it is here, I felt something the last time I was here as well. I think there is a charm to keep it undetected from anyone but Voldemort."

Ginny stood up and walked over to Harry. "I think so too, it makes sense for it to be here. The diary was only taken into this chamber by outside help, the chances that there is another one hidden here seems logical. Voldemort tends to only place his Horcruxes where he has some kind of history, right?"

"Alright then, let's give it another go. Harry, can you try and sense where the source of that magic is coming from?" Hermione asked, dusting her robes off as she stood up.

"I'll try." Harry folded his hands in his lap and concentrated, slowly a glow started to spread over him. Draco stared at him, unable to believe what he was seeing. After several minutes, Harry looked up, a collective gasp spread through the group as Draco moved back a few feet. Harry's eyes were glowing a very light blue before slowly returning to green. "The statue, it's in the mouth, I was so close before." Harry suddenly stood up and walked over to the large statue of Slytherin that dominated the large cavern.

After several unsuccessful attempts to climb the slippery surface, he stopped and began to concentrate deeply. Slowly the glow incased him again and he began to levitate towards the mouth of the statue. Once he had reached the opening he climbed in until he disappeared from view.

Ten minutes later he had still not emerged, his friends were starting to fear the worse when a rumble came from deep within the gaping mouth. Stone and debris exploded out of the mouth, as everyone scrambled for cover from the avalanche of rock. Nobody moved after the dust settled, finally Ron helped Hermione out of the ledge they had wedged themselves into.

"Is everybody ok?" Hermione called as Draco, McGonagall, and Ginny climbed out from behind a fallen statue. "Oh no, Harry!" The group ran over to what was left of the basilisk.

After what seemed like an eternity, a figure could be seen climbing down the ruined statue. When Harry reached the bottom, he was cut and bloody, but there was no other evident damage.

"Is everybody okay? There was a curse around the goblet." Harry explained as he looked around frantically to make sure everyone was in one piece.

"How did you do that? No one has that kind of power, you are not even hurt but for a couple of cuts." Draco looked awed but leery as he peered around Ginny. Harry laughed as he walked over to the cringing Draco. Wrapping his arm around Draco's shoulder, he led the exhausted group towards the exit. "Draco, I believe that we have some catching up to do, you have proved your worth, and I do trust you."

On the way up to McGonagall's office, the group hesitantly took Draco into their confidences. Ron was looking scandalized at the very idea that Draco could be completely trusted, but was scolded severely by Hermione when he brought up his doubts.

Upon entering the Gryffindore common room, the room fell silent after the four dust covered friends walked in. "What happened to you? Did you hear that big explosion? Dean figures that the Death Eaters were trying to get into Hogwarts!" An excited Neville babbled as he followed Ron and Harry up the stairs to their dorm.

After shaking Neville off with a shrug and a couple mumbled explanations the two took a shower and immediately fell asleep. Ginny and Hermione were not so lucky, as the other seventh year girls followed them up to their dorm for a thorough explanation.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Choice**

_**Training**_

**The next couple of weeks seemed to fly by, homework was piled so high even Hermione had trouble keeping up with it. The Slytherins had started to attack Draco when they saw him in the halls. But, since the Gryffindors had stated to protect him, he had been moved into Harry and Ron's dorm, much to the horror of Seamus and Neville. Harry and Ginny had gotten back together a couple of days after the destruction of the horcruxe. Although Harry still had his doubts, he knew that Ginny would still be targeted by Voldemort, but at least this way he would be around to protect her if anything happened. **

**  
A week before Christmas break, Harry was walking Ginny to her Transfiguration class when Tonks came careening around the corner, slamming right into Harry and Ginny. "Harry, we have to go, now!" Tonks grabbed Harry's arm as she ran towards McGonagall's office.**

**  
Once outside of the gargoyle, Tonks panted "snapping licorice" as the statue leaped aside. The Order of the Phoenix was already there when they burst through the door.**

**  
"What's going on? Ouch, you can let go of my arm now!" Harry yelped as Tonks, realizing that she still had Harry's arm in a death grip let go.**

**  
McGonagall stood up slowly, "Harry, you should know, Death Eaters attacked your aunt and uncle...they didn't make it. Your cousin is still alive though, they were just getting to him when we arrived. Right now he is in the infirmary, a little shocked to say the least." She paused as she added, "We have decided that it is time for you to join us during our missions, we are losing too many members so we need as much help as possible. We will do all we can to protect you while out on the field, but I dare say that you could probably do well on your own now."**

**  
"Professor, I need some more practice, but I will be ready when you need me." Harry answered to the surprise of Tonks.**

**  
"What do you need practice with? I can help you with any advanced spells that you may need." Tonks asked as she looked quizzically at Harry.**

**  
"You won't be able to help him with what he is practicing, nobody will. But I may be able to find a place that would be suitable for some training" Mad Eye Moody's magical eye swiveled around in it's socket as he said this. Harry knew that Moody could see the change in him, so he wasn't that surprised. "Harry, you are a very powerful wizard, but you will need time to control your abilities."**

**  
Moody steered Harry out the door before anyone could protest. Harry followed him down unfamiliar halls until they reached a portrait of Merlin. "Harry, behind this wall is a room that will give you any thing you need, it is like the room of requirement but you can control the time in here. In this room time is distorted, what seems like years there is only days here. You will be able to learn to control your powers while in this room, when you come out you will be more powerful than you can imagine."**

**  
"Sir, if this has always been here, why hasn't Voldemort, or anyone else for that matter, tried to get in?" Harry was looking very apprehensive.**

**  
"Only a few people know of this door, not even McGonagall knows about this. I only found it because of my eye. Now, what do you think? I will train you with everything that I know, even some of Dumbledore's special spells." Moody's eye swiveled around until it was looking directly at Harry.**

**  
Harry gulped, "Ok Sir, but how long will I be gone, and can I say goodbye to my friends first?"**

**  
"Very well, I need to let Minerva know that you will be gone for a couple of days in training anyway." Moody grumbled as he walked off, "Meet me back here in an hour."**

**  
On his way to his dorm he rounded a corner only to come face to face with Pansy and her friends. "Well, well, in a hurry Potter?" She leaned forward as she hissed, "I don't know what you did to Draco, but mark my words, you will pay for what you have done. He is no longer one of us and will be dealt with for his treachery."**

**  
With that said, Pansy sauntered off as her friends threw angry glances over their shoulders. Smiling grimly, Harry acknowledged the threat, a retaliation from the Slytherins had been expected. He knew that they would not think twice about killing their former leader, they were, after all, raised by death eaters.**

**  
As Harry ran into the common room Ron stopped him, "Harry what's going on? Ginny said that Tonks dragged you off, she didn't even come back to start her lesson."**

**  
"Where are Hermione and Ginny right now? I need to tell you guys something." Harry looked around to see that Ron and a couple of second years were the only ones there.**

**  
"You go get Hermione, I'll go get Ginny, it might be a little faster if her brother gets her instead of her boyfriend." Ron replied once he saw how nervous Harry was. "What's going on Harry?"**

**  
"I'll tell you in a little bit, we have to make this quick though, meet me here as soon as you can." Harry turned and ran out of the portrait.**

**  
"Half an hour later Ron dragged Ginny into the common room, Harry and Hermione had been there for a few minutes already. "Alright Harry, what is this about?" Ron asked as Ginny plopped herself down beside Harry.**

**  
"I had to let you know, Death Eaters attacked the Dursleys, only Dudley made it. Because of this I will be gone for a couple of days in training, can you keep an eye on him? I can't stand the git, but he is the only family I have left." Harry knew that he could trust them with the secret, but felt that he should wait until he got back before he explained everything.**

**  
"Sure, but we all kind of thought that this was really serious since you pulled us out of our classes." Hermione was looking a little peeved, "Did you want to tell us anything else?"**

**  
"Uh, yes." Harry hesitated before he added, " I was ran into the Slytherins on my way here, they are planning something for Draco, keep an eye on him too, will you? I promise that I will tell you everything when I get back. Be careful, Voldemort has been attacking again, just keep an eye out for anything unusual."**

**  
"Harry, what kind of training are you going to do? It's a little strange that you would have to be pulled out of classes at the beginning of the week. How serious is everything getting out there?" Ginny looked him straight in the eye as she said this, daring him not to tell her.**

**  
"Voldemort is attacking more, especially since Snape decided to show his true colors. My family's home was charmed to withstand him, and he was strong enough to get through that. He is not holding back anymore, he is up to something, I can feel it. You all know I never wanted to put any of you in danger, but he will use you to get to me if he gets the chance. Watch out for each other, and see if you can get the rest of the DA together." With that said, Harry packed up his trunk and shrunk it before heading back to meet Moody.**

**  
After he left, the others sat there for a little longer lost in thought. "He is hiding something else isn't he?" Ginny asked a sullen Ron and Hermione, "I feel the same way though, something big is going to happen soon, and I don't think that we are going to be ready for it."**

**  
Once Harry had reached the portrait of Merlin, Moody was waiting for him. "Are you ready?" At Harry's nod, Moody turned and walked through the wall.  
What awaited Harry was nothing he had ever expected. He was suddenly overlooking a cliff with the ocean smashing onto jagged rocks far below, behind him were green hills stretching as far as he could see. A small cottage lay nestled against a group of trees far to his right, that was also where Moody was heading at the moment.**

**  
After a few minutes Harry reached the cottage as well, "Sir, where are we? Is this where I am going to be trained?" Moody looked like he attempted to smile as he nodded. "Harry welcome to your new home for the next two years. Well, what are you gawking at? I told you it would be a couple of years."**

**  
As they entered the cottage it expanded magically to form a long hall with two bedrooms, a small kitchen, and a study with a library to rival Hogwarts. "Get unpacked, we start your training tomorrow morning at 6 AM." Moody growled as he headed for the kitchen.**

**  
**

**  
Two years later, Harry slowly levitated himself to just above the crashing ocean waves as he meditated. Over the last year he had learned to control his powers beyond anything Moody was able to teach him. Now all Moody could do was watch from afar as the powerful wizard grew stronger every week. Harry had far surpassed everything Moody knew of Merlin even, Lord Voldemort would never have a chance in his opinion. **

**  
Harry was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even hear Moody call him. Waking slowly from his meditation, he levitated up to the cliff top. Today was the day that he could go back to Hogwarts, he had missed everyone dreadfully. He knew that when they returned, he and Moody would have a lot of explaining to do, facing Professor McGonagall would be uncomfortable but facing his friends and girlfriend was going to be a nightmare. Moody had finally told Harry that although he had spent two years in training, he had only been gone for two days in the real world. It would be a shock to everyone who saw him since he no longer looked seventeen.**

**  
Harry's appearance had changed drastically, he had grown to his full height of six feet two inches and was now a very formidable figure when dueling. The long hours of daily training had also taken their desired affect, he was now a superb swordsman as well as proficient in wandless magic. He could now control his powers to a great extent, although his rage tended to make him lose control at times. He had passed Moody's version of his N.E.W.T.S. testing six months earlier, Harry knew that the normal test did not include most of what he had been taught during his time here. Most of what he had learned was from the auour school, much more advanced that the magic taught at Hogwarts.**

**  
As Harry and Moody started for the cottage, a familiar door appeared. Moody blanched noticeably at the sight, "Oh no, we are late, inside now Harry! 'Accio trunks.'" Two trunks came barreling up the meadow towards the two men as they stepped through the door and back into their own time.**


	5. Chapter 5

Hogwarts

As Harry and Mad Eye Moody stepped through the door into Hogwarts, Harry froze. "Moody, how long have we been gone... I mean in this time? Something doesn't feel right here." A second passed before Harry took off running towards the Great Hall, "Voldemort is invading the school!"  
As Harry ran through the halls, he heard voices up ahead. Quickly he pulled himself behind a suit of armor just as a group of Death Eaters entered from a side door. "They are in the Great Hall, Potter should be with them." A familiar voice rasped, "The Master should be pleased once we obtain the boy, this resistance has gone on far too long."  
Silently Harry stepped out of he shadows and held out his wand. "Experelis Mora". All of the Death Eater's wands flew to his hand as they whipped around in surprise. "H...How did you do that?" One of the Death Eaters sputtered as they all shrunk back against the wall in fear.  
"Is Voldemort here, or is he just sending his minions to do the dirty work again?" Harry taunted as he snapped each of the wands in half, one by one. "How many of you are there, and how the bloody hell did you get in here? You had better tell me the truth before I do something worse that your master could never do to you." At their silence he continued, "very well, you leave me no choice." With a flick of his wand, the leader was dragged towards Harry, screaming the whole way. "Still no volunteers? Not surprising really, your kind could never do anything on your own without Voldemort's permission."  
At the angry expressions Harry knew that he had hit a nerve, but still no one said anything. Sighing, he reluctantly lowered his wand at the cowering leader, "Firione Cerelante". A man's screams filled the hall as his black robes began to smolder, quickly the exposed skin on his hands began to darken as fire erupted from within his body. Within minutes, there was only a pile of ash left on the cobblestone floor. True fear was reflected in every eye as Harry slowly stepped forward, "Do I have your attention now?" Pointing at the Death Eater with the familiar raspy voice, he beckoned him forward. "Now take off that mask and answer my questions before I do worse to you."  
As the mask was pulled off, Harry was not surprised to see a skinny blond boy named Zacharias Smith. "Please sir...master, don't hurt me I don't want to die. We came in through a secret passage in the Slytherin's common room, after that we were supposed to secure the students and the faculty in the Great Hall, another group will then come in to grab the Potter brat and bring him to the Dark Lord. The second group will be right behind..."  
At the sound of Harry laughing, Smith froze in fear. "You have no idea who I am do you, Smith. Oh well, it is of little importance right now." Ropes shot out of Harry's wand as left them tied up in a classroom. Just as he was ready to start heading back down, Moody limped into sight.  
"What the devil are you doing here? You should be in the Great Hall by now. Go, don't wait for me anymore!" Moody barked as he limped painfully past. Just before Harry ran out of earshot, he heard Moody muttering something about smelling Peeves burning school property again.  
Finally Harry arrived at the Great Hall, only to see McGonagall herding a group of first year Hufflepuffs through the doorway. "Professor, Death Eaters are right behind m..." Harry ducked just as McGonagall sent a stunner his way. "Professor, what are you doing?" Harry yelped as he threw himself against the wall. "It's me, Harry Potter!"  
"You may resemble him, but you are much older than he is!" McGonagall yelled as she slammed the doors closed behind her. The locks could be heard engaging as Harry ran up to the doors in disbelief.  
"Great, now what!" Harry moaned as he slid down to the floor in shock. He sat there for a few minutes contemplating what he had done to the Death Eaters leader before Moody appeared, wheezing heavily as he limped over to the door. "What happened? Why are you just sitting here? Never mind, they probably didn't recognize you did they? Oh well, I'll get us inside." With that said, he walked up to the doors and called for McGonagall. After a few minutes of conversing the doors opened to a hesitant group of teachers.  
"Show us the scar, Potter's scar is magical so polyjuice will not show it. If you are indeed Harry Potter, and by some chance you have aged as Moody says, then we will let you enter." As McGonagall gave her terms, Harry stepped forward and pulled back his bangs to show a lightning scar.  
The professors lowered their wands as they pulled Harry inside. "I don't know how you aged so quickly, but we will discuss this later. Right now there are three Gryffindors and a Slytherin that would like to see you, they are over by the first years in the far corner. I want all of you up here as soon as you can, see if the rest of your DA group will join you as well." McGonagall smiled as Hagrid rushed over and squeezed the breath out of Harry in one of his famous bear hugs.  
Still slightly out of breath, he found Draco, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny trying to calm a hysterical first year boy. "McGonagall wants you to join me up by the front, grab as many DA members as you can on your way up." Harry gasped.  
"Who are you, and why should we listen to you?" Ron said suspiciously, then froze as he recognized Harry. "Harry? Wh...What happened to you? How did you get in here" Before the other three could recover, Harry started pulled them up to the front of the room.  
"Not now, I'll tell you everything later, right now we need to help fight. I took care of the first group but the second group should be here at any minute." Harry paused as Ginny rushed up and hugged him.  
"Harry, I don't know what happened to you or how you were able to take out a whole group of Death Eaters on your own, but we will back you up no matter what." With that said, Ginny turned around and started giving out orders to the other two. "Ron, go get Neville and round up as many DA as you can, Draco and Hermione see if you can find anyone else to help, we will meet you up by the doors in five minutes." At Ron's sarcastic salute she pushed Harry the rest of the way to the door.  
"When did you become a drill sergeant" At Ginny's confused look, he shrugged. "Never mind, lets get this over with."  
When the rest of the DA showed up, there was already pounding on the other side of the door as the Death Eaters attempted to enter. Suddenly the doors blew open as the death eaters flowed through. Curses and Jinxes flew in every direction as everyone ran for cover, soon there was dueling everywhere as the teachers and the DA rushed out to fight. Harry finished one Death Eater off with a freezing charm in time to see Neville battling a shrieking Lestrange, "You will join your parents soon enough little boy, 'Crucio!'" As Neville fell over in pain, Harry ran over and snatched the wand from her outstretched hand as he muttered the counter curse.  
"You never did fight fair did you, Bella. Now you will get a taste of your own medicine. Neville are you ok? She is yours to finish off or to torture as you please, Merlin knows that you deserve that right." Harry said as he tossed Lestrange's wand at Neville. "It's time you finished this."  
Harry left a flabbergasted Neville in his wake as he ran off to the next duel. Just as he was leaving a Death Eater spewing slugs, a nasty malicious voice rose over the noise in the room, "Potter! It's my turn now, The Dark Lord wants you tonight!" Harry turned around to face his old potions teacher with such anger and hatred on his face that the look that came over Snape's face was half expected, what came out of Snape's mouth was not. "James, no it can't be...you...your dead!" Snape stumbled back in horror as Harry advanced  
"I'm not my father, Snape. But I will avenge them soon enough with your master" Harry spat as he raised his wand ready to strike.

"Experellis!" Harry's wand flew to Snape as he recovered from his surprise, "Harry Potter, I did not recognize you, you seemed to have grown much older since the death of that old fool, Dumbledore. Now I shall have the revenge that is rightfully mine. 'CRUCIO!"  
Everyone in the room turned as the powerful curse hit Harry right in the chest, what happened next was so shocking and unexpected that the Death Eaters and Teachers joined as one as they all quickly backed off. Harry had stopped convulsing on the floor and was slowly rising to his feet, the ground began to shake as a wave of light flooded the room. Once everyone was able to see again, they saw Harry standing in the middle of the light shaking in anger. "SNAPE!" Harry bellowed as the ground began to splinter under his feet.  
Snape stumbled backwards in fright as this glowing figure came towards him, he had never seen such power, not even from his master.


	6. Chapter 6

6

Harry's control was starting to return as he seemingly glided up to the trembling Snape. The glow that was surrounding Harry slowly faded to what appeared to be lightning crackling over his body. Slowly he sank down on his knees in front of the cowering man, "You will not be getting the revenge that you desire, my fight is with Voldemort as it was meant to be." Looking into the wide eyes of the Headmistress, he added. "He is yours to deal with, he is not worth losing control over."

With these words, the others within the room seemed to come out of their trances and stunned the remaining Death Eaters before they had a chance to recover. All in all 12 Death Eaters were taken into custody, including Severous Snape. Once the Ministry had been informed and the statements had been taken it was nearly Midnight.

As the last Death Eater was led out in shackles, the attention was again focused on Harry as he stood alone against the wall. McGonagall had asked Harry to come to her office in the morning and then had dismissed everyone to their common rooms. Nobody seemed to want to be the first to leave though, so Harry's friends hesitantly made their way over and led Harry towards the Gryffindore common room. This seemed to get everyone moving as they slowly headed to their perspective dorms, casting awed looks over at Harry as they passed.

Noting the looks, Harry kept his head down until everyone were safely in his dorm, as there had been a crowd waiting for him in the common room. Draco was the first to break the silence. "What happened to you? You look so different and that power was...well, I don't know...I've never heard or seen anything like it before."

Ginny cast an angry glare at Draco before she sat down next to Harry on the bed. "Harry, I know that you probably don't want to talk about anything right now so you can tell us in the morning. We deserve to know though, and we are still your friends no matter what."

Looking gratefully at her, he smiled at his friends before curling up in his bed and falling into an exhausted sleep. Smiling softly, Hermione and Ginny left for their own rooms as Ron and Draco stood watching Harry some more before heading over to their own beds.

"I knew that he would always be powerful, but that was something else entirely. Why do you suppose he looks so much older? I didn't even recognize him at first and I have known him for years." Ron muttered as he changed into his pajamas, Draco just shook his head in bewilderment and pulled his hanging closed.

The next morning, Harry woke to find his friend's beds empty. He quickly dressed and showered before heading down to Professor McGonagall's office for their scheduled meeting. The halls were silent and empty as he walked through, the only sign of life he had seen all morning was the small group of first years he had passed in the common room earlier. When he reached the gargoyle that guarded the Headmistresses office, he automatically began to think of what strange candy may be the password today. To his disappointment, the gargoyle leaped to the side before he even had a chance to speak.

Riding the revolving stone stairs to the top, he began to think of the best way to explain his appearance and his actions the other day. He only hoped that Mad Eye would be there to help take some of the heat. Stepping through the door once McGonagall beckoned him through, he started as he realized that nearly the entire Order was present as well as a few ministry officials and all of his friends plus Neville and Luna. At Harry's shocked face, McGonagall slowly smiled from behind her new desk as she beckoned him to sit amongst his friends.

"Harry, I'm afraid this may have come as a surprise to you, as you were no doubt expecting a one on one meeting with me. But as you can see, the Ministry as well as the Order of the Phoenix felt it was in their best interests as well to appear for an explanation first hand. I invited your friends to come to take some of the pressure off, as they deserve an explanation as well. Mad Eye should be here as well, but he seems to be running a little late this morning." McGonagall began.

Just as she finished, Mad Eye limped through the door behind Harry hauling a group of tied of Death Eaters behind him, making every care to bang their bruised bodies against every edge that he could as he passed. Spotting Harry, he smiled wickedly before pushing the unlucky group to the ground before everyone.

"It seems that you forgot a few of your practice dummies yesterday. I am assuming, mind you, that due to their state you have already dwelt with them. I found these idiots tied up in an abandoned classroom a few minutes ago." Moody grinned evilly down upon the quivering figures. At the sight of the gnarled grimace that he cast upon them, the group yelped in fear as they cowered together in a failed attempt to escape from the sight of the disfigured ex-auror.

"You did what! You left these deatheaters tied up in a classroom all night? What if they had escaped? They could have killed us all in our beds!" McGonagalls features had gone a pasty white as she yelled at Harry.

Harry just smiled serenely as he glared down at the black robed captives before speaking in a voice that left no argument.

"They would not have escaped. Only Voldemort himself could break the bonds I put on them." He replied slowly

"You seem sure of your self Potter, did your victory yesterday already go to your head?" Minister Scrimgeour hissed as he stepped forward.

Looking up, Harry coldly glared back at the Minister, inevitably sending chills down everyone's spine as he did so. "You have no idea what I have gone through the last couple of days. What has been merely days for you have been nearly two years of training for me."

The Minister backed down instantly as he stared into the chilling emerald eyes before him. No one else seemed to want to invoke Harry after that.

McGonagall sighed deeply as she watched the scene play out before her. "Harry, I believe it is time you told us what happened to you. What you did yesterday showed an amount of power that few have seen since Dumbledore was in his prime. And I have reason to believe that you were holding back as well. Would you mind enlightening us?"

The look that she gave Harry clearly stated that she expected the full story at a later time, for now she just wanted enough to keep the ministry happy.

"Very well, there is a dimensional gate that is known to only a select few. This gate acts as a form of the Room of Requirements, meaning, it will give the user what they desire at that time. For me, it was a place to train in a different time frame. I will not tell you where or how to access this room." Harry pointedly stared at the Minister at this point. "But what I can tell you is that I was able to train and strengthen my powers through this aid, I feel that I can now face Voldemort without having to rely on just luck. When he marked me with this scar on my forehead when I was a baby, he marked me as his equal. I think it is safe to say that with all of the times I have gone up against him; it is quite obvious that it will happen again. I am now nineteen years of age due to the time difference within that realm, and no longer fall under the underage category for the wizarding or muggle world."

To say that everyone was shocked was an understatement. The minister had gotten a greedy look about him before Harry had stated that he would in no way tell them how to access the gate.

It was clear to everyone present that Harry would not comment further as to the course of the last two years. But the gist of the story had been enough to satisfy most. At this point, a small whimper was heard from the ground. Looking down, everyone's attention was once again focused on the bound Deatheaters before them.

"You…your Harry!" Smith whispered in horror, realization still dawning on his pointed facial features as he and his companions once again attempted to scuttle across the floor. The pressure of facing the powerful being whom had destroyed his squad leader became to much for the small traitor, as his eyes rolled back into his head in a dead faint.

"I see that you have successfully broken him, good work Harry." Mad Eye said in obvious pride.

"Oh, did I forget to mention, Mad Eye Moody was the one that trained me during those two years?" Harry smiled slyly as he spoke, and he grinned maliciously at the groans this statement caused from the gathered audience.

Standing up from his chair, Harry turned to McGonagall. "If that is all, may I be excused?"

"Very well, thank you for your time Mr. Potter." McGonagall waved her hand distractedly as the Order and the gathered ministry officials began to bombard her and Mad Eye with questions.

Turning to leave, Harry glanced at his friends as a silent message passed between them. Striding to the door, his friends quickly followed creating a barrier against an irate Minister as he attempted to follow Harry out the door.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Following silently behind Harry, his friends followed him up to the seventh floor and waited patiently as he paced three times before the stretch of wall that housed the room of requirements. Following him inside, Hermione couldn't hold back any longer.

"Alright Harry, tell us everything, and no leaving a single detail out, or I swear…" Hermione trailed off with her fists clasped tightly around an invisible neck.

Harry's eyebrows threatened to disappear into his hairline as everyone stared at Hermione in surprise at the uncharacteristic show of aggression. Feeling that he had better explain everything quickly for the sake of his health, Harry ran through his training leaving nothing out, but downplaying his abilities to a point. He trusted is friends with his life, but there were some things that he didn't feel comfortable sharing with everyone.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Ginny starring at him pointedly. He knew she would be the one that he would tell everything to, she knew him better than even Ron and Hermione did.

Finally contented with his answers, Hermione grabbed Ron's hand and pulled him towards the exit as Luna and Neville got up to leave as well. Draco was still sitting on his beanbag chair lost in thought.

"Neville, Luna, I'm sorry that I haven't involved you as much as the others lately. But seeing you there for me in McGonagall's office reminded me of how much you two have been there for me as well. I am sorry for being so distant to you two lately." Harry sighed as he looked up into their blue eyes.

"It's ok Harry, we understand. Just know that we will always be there for you when you need us, through thick and thin." Neville answered with a smile as Luna agreed by nodding her head in a dreamy way.

Draco rose to his feet as well, but with a pensive look still in his eyes. "I have some more questions for you, but I'll ask them when I have had time to think over everything."

"Alright, I'll answer them the best that I can when you want me too. Ginny, can you stay behind for a while? I haven't really seen you for two years." Harry added shyly but with a small smile.

"Ha, you couldn't drag me away from you Mr. Potter, not after hearing about everything you have been through." Ginny replied haughtily throwing her nose up in the air in mock play, successfully breaking the tension that had built up in the room within the last half hour.

Laughing at her antics, the others went their separate ways as they passed through the door. Turning to Ginny, Harry smiled softly as he pulled her close and kissed her. A few minutes of making out put Harry in considerably better spirits. And he was able to tell Ginny exactly what happened over the last few days, or years depending on the view.

He had expected her to be upset, but not calm and collected up until the end. Although right after he finished with his narrative she had laid into him only to make him promise that he would let her know whenever he decided to do something like that again or let her come with him. He immediately agreed due to the fact that he didn't think that she would let him walk out of the room in one piece if he disagreed. Powerful or not, you do not mess with an angry Weasley woman if you know what's good for you.


End file.
